Frequently Asked Questions
Students are offered CPE Courses through distance education. There are three main elements: small group interaction with one’s peers and supervisor-educator, online learning modules and an internship.
CPE provides a reflective and relational learning environment that fosters growth, personal and pastoral development. Such an environment involves mutual trust, respect, openness, challenge, and confrontation in a respectful and caring manner. Students are expected to be self-directed and explore one’s theological framework as it applies and is integrated into one’s abilities to practice compassionate pastoral care.
Students are expected to develop a learning contract appropriate to their learning needs and congruent with CPEI’s Objectives and Learning Outcomes. The learning goals are to be uno their specific learning issues and measurable. In some cases, these may be modified at mid-course as one gains new insight.
The certificate in Clinical Pastoral Education comprises four courses (CPE 100-400). Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) is about change, transition, and transformation and involves group and individual supervision as part of an action-reflection-action learning process. Each course requires completing 400 hours (100 hours) of structured and unstructured learning and (300 hours) of an internship. Students will receive a certificate after the four courses.
Students identify internship sites that provide opportunities for them to practice the art of pastoral care. CPEI approves the internship site, and students must submit a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to the site coordinator, which details the information about CPEI and the responsibilities of the CPE Faculty (Supervisor-Educator), the student and the site coordinator. Based on the student’s needs, more than one site may be used at the time; however, each site must have a site coordinator, and a separate MOU is required. Also students are required to submit a weekly log of hours which becomes part of their record in Populi, with a copy provided to the Site Coordinator. At the end of the Course, the Site Coordinator also submits an assessment of the student’s work and affirms the student’s hours.
Once an application has been received, the applicant will be contacted by CPEI or one of the CPEI Affiliates to schedule an interview. Students approved for the Certificate Programs in CPE or Supervisory CPE will be accepted into the course and term they have applied for and will be sent an email with their course information as well as their acceptance letter and details on how to access their course.
Once students are accepted, they are required to enroll in each course and will fill out an enrollment agreement. Details on how to complete enrollment are outlined in the email that is sent out after acceptance into the course.
Students will also be required to submit photo identification. Acceptable sources include a school photo, driver’s license, or a government-issued photo.
Yes, students will receive a final evaluation which addresses the learning outcomes and assigned a grade based on the following scale.
Letter Grade | Points | Category | Evaluation |
A+ | 100-96 | Exemplary | Exceeded Learning Outcomes |
A | 95-91 | Exemplary | Nearly Exceeded Learning Outcomes |
B+ | 90-86 | Competent | Met Learning Outcomes |
B | 85-81 | Competent | Nearly Met Learning Outcomes |
B- | 80-76 | Developing | Making Progress Toward Learning Outcomes |
C+ | 75-71 | Developing | Making Some Progress Toward Learning Outcomes |
C | 70 | Minimal | Minimally Beginning to Address Learning Outcomes |
Students are awarded a certificate at the end of each course and a formal certificate for completing the certificate program in which they are enrolled.
Most courses are scheduled for 12 week and 16 week terms. A typical week requires students to meet with their supervisor-educator and peer group approximately 3-4 hours per week and complete the required learning modules. In addition, students are required to complete 300 internship hours.
CPEI offers online and hybrid modalities.
Hybrid describes the CPEI Affiliates which offers both residential and distance learning opportunities. These are primarily the Affiliates associated with a hospital or hospice location. Online describes the CPEI Affiliates that offer CPE online through Zoom or a related system, and students complete their internship in an agreed upon location.
Supervisory Education
The certificate in CPE Supervisory Education assists students interested in becoming CPE Supervisors-Educators. The process involves gaining the knowledge and skills needed to make a lasting difference in the lives of others through the advancement of one’s supervisory practice. In the supervisory education program, students learn to develop critical thinking, supervisory, and leadership skills. Each course consists of 400 hours of observation and practice of supervision and the development of one’s supervisory theory.
- Students desiring to apply to enter the Certificate in Supervisory Education will be required to have a graduate degree of a minimum of 36 hours from an accredited institution, preferably in theology or a related discipline, and the completion of 1600 hours of clinical pastoral education (CPE), and certification as a Chaplain by a recognized certifying organization or completion of Board Certification within the first year of supervisory education.
- CPE Associate Supervisor-Educator requires a graduate degree of a minimum of 36 hours. The CPE Associate Supervisor-Educator is not eligible to apply for the role of a Training Supervisor-Educator.
- CPE Supervisor-Educator requires a minimum of 72 hours of graduate education. The CPE Supervisor-Educator will also be able to apply for a Training Supervisor-Educator role after meeting the requirements set forth.
- Students whose native language is not English and who have not earned a degree from an appropriately accredited institution where English is the principal language of instruction must demonstrate a high-school proficiency in English by completing the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
Once an application has been received, the applicant will be contacted by a CPEI Training Supervisor-Educator to schedule an interview. Once approved, students will be accepted into the course and term they have applied for and will be sent an email with their course information as well as their acceptance letter and details on how to access their course.
Once students are accepted, they are enrolled by the Registrar and will be sent an enrollment agreement to sign. Students are sent an email making them aware of their acceptance and enrollment into their course.
Students will also be required to submit photo identification. Acceptable sources include a school photo, driver’s license, or a government-issued photo.
Yes, students will receive a final evaluation which addresses the learning outcomes and assigned a grade based on the following scale.
Letter Grade | Points | Category | Evaluation |
A+ | 100-96 | Exemplary | Exceeded Learning Outcomes |
A | 95-91 | Exemplary | Nearly Exceeded Learning Outcomes |
B+ | 90-86 | Competent | Met Learning Outcomes |
B | 85-81 | Competent | Nearly Met Learning Outcomes |
B- | 80-76 | Developing | Making Progress Toward Learning Outcomes |
C+ | 75-71 | Developing | Making Some Progress Toward Learning Outcomes |
C | 70 | Minimal | Minimally Beginning to Address Learning Outcomes |
Students are awarded a certificate at the end of each course and a formal certificate for completing the certificate program in which they are enrolled.
Supervisory Education is divided into four courses (SEC 600-900).
- SEC 600: The initial supervisory education course provides the supervisory student the opportunity to observe and practice the art of supervision while developing an awareness of the supervisory process and basic supervisory skills, to research a variety of human development theorists and group dynamics, to write an integrative autobiography, a final evaluation, and initiate a self-care plan.
- SEC 700: The second supervisory education course provides the student the opportunity to practice the art of supervision while supervising and evaluating students, increasing one’s knowledge and skills in supervision, multiculturalism, adult learning theories, to develop a theory of human development in pastoral supervision, and to increasingly demonstrating the ability to manage a CPE Course and practice healthy self-care.
- SEC 800: The third supervisory education course, or Part I of the Capstone Assignment, provides the supervisory student the opportunity to continue practicing the art of supervision while supervising and evaluating students, increasing one’s knowledge and skills in supervision, addressing ethical issues, integrating a theory of pastoral supervision, developing one’s theory of adult learning, group dynamics and multiculturalism, and to increasingly demonstrating the ability to manage a CPE Course and practice healthy self-care.
- SEC 900: The fourth supervisory education course, or Part II of the Candidate’s Capstone Assignment, provides the supervisory student the opportunity to organize and practice the art of supervision while supervising and evaluating students using one’s increased knowledge and skills in supervision and preparation for review and approval by the CPEI Certification Committee.